


The Search For Shaun

by Larnise



Series: The Marvelous Misadventures of the Delaney Kids [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animal friend perk, Attack dog perk, Gen, Sole survivor is a child, Wasteland whisperer perk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24459109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larnise/pseuds/Larnise
Summary: Alternatively titled "How A Six-Year-Old Caused Ninety Percent of the Commonwealth's Grey Hairs"
Series: The Marvelous Misadventures of the Delaney Kids [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766626
Comments: 12
Kudos: 29





	1. October 23rd, 2287

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, I *should* be working on either Set In Stone or A Sleeping Dragon (or on getting a job) but... both of those series are heavy on the Angst and the Serious Themes, and with everything going on in the world and in my life personally, I needed to work on something more lighthearted.

"So, what's your story? Lookin' to trade, rob me, or just ask directions to Diamond City?" Trashcan Carla asked, not bothering to look up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Directions to Diamond City, please!" She snapped her head up at the sound of a child's voice. The kid couldn't have been older than seven, wearing a vault suit underneath a duster that was far too big for her. The hem dragged along the ground, and the sleeves probably would have if not for the fact she was holding something up close to her chest.

"I… kid, are you wandering the Commonwealth alone?" she asked. The kid scowled.

"Nu-uh! I got Sandy and Scout with me! My name is Sadie. What's yours?" There was a German Shepherd by her heels - actually, more like by her knees - and that was presumably either Sandy or Scout, but who was the other?

"Trashcan Carla. Nice to meet you. How old are you, Sadie?"

"What?" Her voice rose in pitch and cracked. "You shouldn't introduce yourself by what the bullies call you! Promise you'll stop?" Oh good, the kid and the dog had synchronized puppy dog eyes. And what was she… did the kid not realize nicknames like that were commonplace? Carla's eyes flicked back to the vault suit.

"Alright, alright. Come on kid, how old are you?" She was getting desperate now.

"I'm six years old!" Sadie announced, with pride lacing her voice, chest puffing out grandly. Then she scowled again. "Do you know the way to Diamond City or not, Miss Carla?" Carla couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Nobody had ever been so polite as to give her a title like Miss.

“Yeah, little Miss Sadie. It’s down the road a ways. Just keep heading south, and take the bridge across the river right before the CIT ruins. Tell you what, I’ll walk-” Carla never finished that sentence. The kid perked up and grinned, interrupting her.

“I know where CIT is! But if Diamond City is right across the river from there, then… Fenway Park! Of course! Thanks, Miss Carla!” And then she was off, moving way faster than anyone with legs that short had any right to move.

A few moments later, a figure came running down the road from the direction of Concord. As they came closer, Carla realized it was Marcy Long, a farmer from the former settlement of Quincy. She came to a panting halt before Carla, bending over and putting her hands on her knees.

“Did a kid come through here with a dog and a baby deathclaw?” she asked. Carla blinked.

“A kid did come through here, yes, with a dog, but I didn’t see any sign of a-” Wait a second. “She was holding something, but I never saw what it was. Are you telling me it was a…” Carla trailed off, staring into the middle distance. Then she shook her head. “She asked for directions to Diamond City and then sprinted off before I could offer to walk with her.”

“Shit,” Marcy huffed, “Shit! I can’t keep chasing her, I have to get back to the others, but… damn it!”

“Does she belong to your group, then…?”

“No. We just met her, but she’s a kid and she’s...” Marcy groaned and straightened back up. “She’s batshit insane.”

Carla couldn’t help but snort at that.

~~~

“Civilian in the perimeter, check your fire!” Danse ordered. The civilian rushed up the stairs to the walkway, and Danse only then noticed -

“Jesus, it’s a kid!” Rhys shouted, leaning forward and shooting a ghoul that tried to follow her up. The kid in question set something down in front of her, next to her dog.

“Sandy, Scout, sic ‘em!” she said. The dog and the something ran back down the stairs and began tearing into the ghouls. Between them and Danse’s team, the area was cleared fairly quickly. The kid looked in every direction for a few moments, clearly making sure no more ferals were inbound, before coming down and joining her pets.

And only now that there was less motion did Danse realize that one of those pets was a very small deathclaw. Rhys and Haylen seemed to realize it at the same time, as she gasped and he made a sort of strangled sound.

“Hi, there!” the kid greeted them cheerfully, before leaning down and  _ picking the deathclaw up _ , cradling it in her arms like a baby. “I’m Sadie, and this is Sandy and Scout!”

Danse didn’t know how to properly address the matter, so he fell back on the mannerisms he’d been taught for dealing with civilians in general.

“We appreciate the assistance, civilian, but what is your business here?” he asked. He ignored Haylen’s hiss behind him. Sadie just smiled at him.

“My Pip-Boy picked up your message on the radio,” she explained, “so I came to help.” Oh. The distress signal. Wait, Pip-Boy?

Danse examined her more closely and realized that underneath the duster she had on was a vault suit, and peeking out from the end of the overly large duster sleeve there was, indeed, a Pip-Boy.

A kid. A vault dweller kid. With, apparently, a pet deathclaw and attack dog. Danse could feel his brain frying. Haylen came to his rescue.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sadie. I’m Scribe Haylen, next to me is Knight Rhys, and the man in the power armor is Paladin Danse. Do you mind if I ask where your parents are?” The kid frowned, looking down at the ground and shuffling her feet. There was silence for several long moments, then the sound of sniffling.

Oh, shit. That couldn’t mean anything good. Haylen hurriedly spoke again.

“If, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. Um, why don’t you come inside, sweetheart, and eat something? Get some sleep?”

To Danse’s dismay, instead of answering, the kid turned and ran out of the compound, disappearing into the quickly falling darkness, and ignoring Haylen’s shouts for her to wait. The dog followed closely behind her.

Danse would have stopped her, but she ducked and ran under the old truck just outside the wall, and by the time he got around it all in his armor, she was long gone.

~~~

“What do you mean you can’t open the gate? Stop playing around, Danny, I’m standing out in the open here, for crying out loud!” Piper snapped.

“I got orders not to let you in, Miss Piper. I’m just doing my job.”

“Ooh, ‘just doing your job?’ Protecting Diamond City means keeping me out, is that it? ‘Oh, look, it’s the scary reporter!’ Boo!”

“I’m sorry, but - Mayor McDonough’s really steamed this time, Piper, saying that article you wrote was all lies. The whole city’s in a tizzy.”

“Argh, you open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan, I live here! You can’t just lock me out!” He didn’t respond. “I know you’re listening, Danny, open up!” Still no response. Piper huffed and turned, looking around. She blinked at what she finally saw. She was pretty sure Danny heard the undignified squeak she made.

“This is Diamond City, right?” the kid standing there asked. Piper quickly realized she was looking at a vault dweller, as only part of the blue jumpsuit was hidden by the duster she wore. After a moment, Piper realized it was  _ Preston Garvey’s _ duster, one of the two he’d salvaged from the old historical displays in the Castle.

“Yeah, it is. You want in, right?” Piper replied, kneeling down closer to the kid’s height.

“Yep! Mama Murphy said I should come here to look for Shaun, and here I am! But why aren’t they letting you in?” She tilted her head at the end, reminding Piper of nothing more than a curious puppy.

“I, uh… I tried to tell them the truth, and they didn’t like that very much. I’m Piper, by the way. Piper Wright. What’s your name? And how old are you?”

“My name is Sadie Delaney, and I’m six!” She said it proudly, and loudly. Loudly enough that Piper was fairly certain Danny heard her. That suspicion was confirmed a moment later, as his voice came back on the intercom.

“Did I just hear what I think I heard? Piper, please tell me I heard wrong and there is  _ not _ , in fact, a six-year-old out there with you.” Piper elected not to respond. Spiteful? Eh, maybe a little, but she figured she had the right to be.

“And Miss Sadie, did you come here by yourself?” she asked sweetly, and loudly. The kid glanced at the intercom and seemed to realize what Piper was trying to do because she answered in the same tone of voice.

“No, I got Sandy,” here she patted the empty air next to her, for some reason, “and my dog, Scout. But Scout stayed back that way to help those baseball guys fight the big green ones.” Piper’s eyes widened, and as she listened, she realized that she could hear gunfire down the street and shouting down the street.

“You hear that, Danny? You gonna let us in, or you gonna be the one talking to Crazy Myrna ‘bout leaving a kid to the super mutants ‘round the corner?” So there was a bit of desperation in her voice. Sue her.

“Geez, alright! No need to make it personal, Piper. Give me a minute.” The gate started to rise.

“We better head inside quick, before those mutants get any closer.”

“Okay!” Sadie nodded and skipped along behind Piper as they stepped into the relative safety of the security checkpoint.

“Piper! Who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut. You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! I’ll have that printer of yours scrapped for parts,” the mayor threatened, leaning forward and pointing a fat finger at Piper accusingly. She glared back at him, unfazed.

“Ooh, is that a statement Mister McDonough? ‘Tyrant Mayor Shuts Down The Press.’ Why don’t we ask the newcomer here? Do you support the news? ‘Cause the mayor’s threatenin’ to throw free speech in the dumpster.”

“Mommy told me the news was only trustworthy if the government didn’t control it, so I think if you’re trying to stop the press, you should go fuck yourself!” Sadie announced, nodding decisively and glaring at McDonough. Somewhere in the background, Piper caught the sound of one of the security guards hastily stifling his laughter.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean to drag you into this argument, Miss! No, no no, you look like Diamond City material! Welcome to the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth. Safe, happy, a fine place to come, spend your money, settle down. Don’t let this muckraker here tell you otherwise, alright?” Well, Piper would give the man props for sheer audacity.

“Uh-huh.” The kid drew the sound out, clearly conveying exactly what she thought of that with her tone. “And that’s why you were gonna leave me out there with the super mutants.”

“She’s got you there, McDonough. Guess not everyone gets won over by that shark smile of yours,” Piper sassed. The kid grinned at her as McDonough cleared his throat and waved his hand vaguely.

“Now, was there anything, in particular, you came to the city for?”

“I’m trying to find my baby brother, Shaun. He’s only four months old, and - and some mean guy took him away.” And now Sadie looked like she was about to cry. Great. Before anyone could respond, a dog came barking up to the gate. It took Piper a moment, but she recognized Dogmeat, the dog that always seemed to hang around Quincy before the Gunners showed up. But wait, Sadie had called him Scout earlier, hadn’t she? Huh. So she’d renamed him.

“Wait, your brother’s missing? You hear that, McDonough? Is Diamond City Security just gonna stand by while a child searches for her infant brother all on her own?”

“Don’t listen to her. While I’m afraid security can’t follow every case that comes through, I’m confident that one of our great citizens can surely find the time to help you.” Distinct sounds of disbelief echoed from the peanut gallery, and Piper couldn’t help but agree.

“Seriously? Diamond City Security can’t spare one officer to help? I want the truth, McDonough. What’s the real reason Security never investigates any kidnappings?”

The kid, though… she got this devious little look on her face. It was only there for a split second, quickly replaced by a wide-eyed, innocent curiosity, but having caught the clear mischief on her face, Piper didn’t believe this new attitude for a moment.

“If Diamond City is so great, and you’re the man in charge, then you must know everyone! Who do you think could help me?”

“Um, well…” McDonough waffled for a moment, before quickly giving in to the synchronized puppy dog eyes. “There is, uh, one private citizen. A detective, of sorts. Nick Valentine. He specializes in finding people, usually for debts or whatnot.” He quickly turned away. “As for you, Piper. Consider you and that little sister of yours on notice!”

“Yeah, keep talking McDonough, that’s all you’re good for.” Piper ignored his harrumph as he walked away, choosing instead to bend down in front of the kid again. “Well well. I’m impressed. Not everyone can claw information out of the mayor’s tight-fisted hands. Look, I gotta go get settled in, but uh - after you talk to Nick, drop by my office for a visit. I have an idea for an article you’d be perfect for.”


	2. October 24th, 2287

“Good morning little one!” Vadim greeted the kid as she emerged from the hallway. She grinned widely at him, making her way over and climbing up onto one of the barstools. It nearly fell over beneath her, but Hawthorne was standing there and caught it.

“Thanks mister!” Sadie chirped at the mercenary, before turning to Vadim. “Do you got any snack cakes?”

“That is not a healthy breakfast,” Yefim scolded, faking a scowl, before winking, “but we will not tell if you do not.” Vadim pulled a box from under the counter and set it before her, not bothering to name a price. The brothers had already decided that they were not going to charge this poor child for anything.

“So, there I am,” Vadim continued to Hawthorne, “wearing nothing but a smile, when out comes the most dangerous of all sea monsters - a mirelurk!”

“A mirelurk?” Hawthorne mocked, “Come on, man, that’s like - two out of ten points danger, tops. Now, you wanna talk really dangerous - there was a chameleon deathclaw down by Quincy a few years back. Those fuckers can turn invisible...” he trailed off, suddenly realizing he’d just cussed in front of a child.

She didn’t seem to even notice the profanity, though. She just tilted her head to the side, looking curious, snack cake halfway between her mouth and the box.

“Invisible? You mean, like Sandy?” she asked. All three men smiled indulgently at her.

“Sandy? Is that your dog? Sure, kid, he’s-” She scowled and cut Hawthorne off mid-sentence.

“I’m not stupid, even if  _ you  _ are. Of course  _ Scout  _ can’t turn invisible. But  _ Sandy  _ can. She’s right next to your face, and you don’t even see her.” And the kid patted the empty air above the counter. Only, as she did, it suddenly wasn’t empty air anymore. Instead, she was patting the back of a tiny, sand-colored, deathclaw.

Later, no one who had been in the Dugout Inn that morning would admit they’d all collectively panicked. In the moment, though, they were too busy panicking to worry about their dignity.

~~~

At the sound of the door opening and closing behind her, Ellie sighed.

"Another stray, coming in from the rain. 'Fraid you're too late. Office is closed," she said.

"I know you must be busy, miss, but it's important." Ellie spun around, frowning at the kid.

"I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just… the detective. He’s gone missing," she explained. The kid looked back with wide eyes.

“I can help! Tell me what happened,” she said. For some reason, Ellie did.

“He was working a case. Skinny Malone's gang had kidnapped a young woman. He tracked them down to their hideout in Park Street Station. There’s an old vault down there they use as a base.” The kid nodded, grinning.

“I know where that is! I’ll be back soon!” And with that, the kid ran out the door. Ellie realized with a sudden dropping sensation what she intended moments too late. By the time she got to the noodle stand, the kid was long gone.

~~~

From his place beside the boss, Joe watched the guards from up top bring the kid down. He was grateful that the Triggermen didn't kill kids, but he kind of wished they would have just turned her away instead of bringing her to Malone.

The detective was watching through the window of his makeshift cell. Robotic chuckles echoed through when he saw the kid.

"Gotta love the irony of the reverse damsel in distress scenario. Question is, why did our heroine risk life and limb for an old private eye?"

"My brother was kidnapped," was the simple response from the kid, who never took her eyes off the boss. Something in her face reminded Joe of something, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what.

"Shut up, Valentine," Malone snapped, banging a fist on the wall. Then he smiled at the kid, his most "charming" smile. "Sorry kiddo, Nicky ain't going anywhere. Why don't you give up and run on home?"

The kid's dog started growling, and Joe felt something brush up against his leg, between him and Malone. The boss must have felt it, too, because he startled and looked down.

"I don't think you understand, mister. My brother was kidnapped, and I need the detective to help me find him. You're gonna let him go," the kid ordered, crossing her arms. As she did, the sleeve of her duster slid down, revealing the Pip-Boy and vault suit underneath. At the same time, her posture and expression made the connection click in Joe's mind.

"Holy shit. You're Delaney's kid, aren't you? Sadie, I think it was?" The kid in question blinked.

"Yes," she drew the syllable out, a skeptical look on her face, "who are you?"

"I'm Joseph Lewis. I served in Anchorage with your dad, before the bombs made me… This. I… I tried to save him, but I was too slow." He got lost in his memories for just a moment, but recovered with a shake off his head. "How are you here, though?"

The kid seemed to contemplate the question, and he could almost see the judgement happening in her mind as he watched. She hadn't answered yet when the detective spoke up.

"Hold on, a Sadie Delaney with a dad who died in Anchorage? Kid, would your mother's name happen to be Eleanor?"

"Yes, it  _ was _ ," she said, still staring at Joe with judging eyes. Eyes that were exactly the same shade of brown as Nate's had been, lying open and unfocused, dirt caked on his cheeks, smoke and the scent of pennies heavy in the air...

"Does any of this matter?" Darla demanded. Joe inwardly groaned at the sound of her voice. He'd forgotten she was here, too. "Just get rid of her. And the detective! I told you we should have just killed him. But you had to get all sentimental. All that stupid crap about the old days."

"Darla, I'm handling this! Skinny Malone's always got things under control."

"Folks who talk about themselves in the third person have nothing under control, dummy," the kid scoffed, before turning to Darla. "Miss, you still have your parents, don't you? What are you doing here?"

Amazingly enough, the woman wavered, glancing between Malone and Delaney. The kid saw the hesitation, and pounced on the opening.

"My mommy and daddy are gone. I never get to spend any more time with them. Don't you think you should spend time with yours while you still can?" That did the trick.

"I… Oh, you're right! I've gotten all mixed up." She dropped her bat and stepped forward.

"Darla, where… where are you going?"

"Home, Skinny. This is goodbye for us." And with that, Darla left.

"Damnit Valentine! First you break in, shoot up my guys, now your little friend costs me my girl?" Malone whined, glaring through the little window. The detective glared right back.

"My friend here just did you a favor. You always did have bad taste in women. Now that she's not around to feed that temper of yours, what do you say you let us walk? You still owe me for two weeks in the hole."

"Gah! Fine." Without prompting, Joe used the terminal to open the door. Valentine stepped out, slipping past Malone with a grimace. The kid turned to leave with him, and a sudden panic came over Joe.

"Wait!" All eyes were on him, and he realized he'd spoken aloud. He blinked, but there was nothing for it now. "I'm going with you."

"What?" Malone demanded, glaring, but before he could say anything else, a low growl emanated from the railing next to him.

"Leave off, mister. Sandy is annoyed enough as it is. Just shut up, sit down, and let all of us leave," the kid snapped. Then the source of the growl revealed itself.

Malone shut up, sat down, and let them all leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Join me on Discord! https://discord.gg/rTSccSJ  
> I post there whenever I update a fic, and I also post the visual art that I make. There's also space for gaming and just generally hanging out.


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